Spain’s long-distance rail operator Renfe will face a 24-hour stoppage this Friday, 31 July, after the Sindicato Ferroviario confirmed a nationwide strike in its passenger division. The action coincides with the first August holiday getaway – traditionally one of the busiest travel weekends of the year – and is expected to hit long-distance AVE, Alvia and Euromed services as well as Media Distancia and Cercanías commuter trains. The Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility has issued compulsory minimum-service levels that will keep 73 % of high-speed and long-distance trains, 65 % of regional trains and up to 75 % of Cercanías services in operation during peak hours. Even so, more than 320 trains have no guaranteed departure slot and could be cancelled should staff participation be high. Renfe says affected passengers will be able to change tickets free of charge or request a full refund. The union accuses the company of failing to resolve repeated faults in air-conditioning systems – a critical issue during Spain’s record heatwave – and of dragging its feet in negotiations over staffing levels and salaries. Renfe maintains that the average salary of its operational grades already exceeds €33,000 and that recent recruitment rounds have added more than 1,000 employees. For corporate mobility managers the walk-out comes at the worst possible time. July traffic on Renfe’s business-heavy Madrid–Barcelona and Madrid–Valencia corridors is already running 6 % above 2025 levels, according to operator data, and many multinationals rely on the AVE network for same-day meetings. Companies are advising travelling staff to check train status the evening before departure, build in extra connection time and, where feasible, switch to virtual meetings or flights. If talks fail and the 31 July action is well supported, unions warn that further strikes could follow in August. Multinationals with large Spanish footprints are therefore activating contingency plans that include block-booking hire cars and re-routing critical staff via alternative rail providers such as Iryo and Ouigo.
Source: El HuffPost
